‘Lack of dealer attendance’ drives LeMans Corp. out at Indy

July 26, 2012

LeMans Corp. informed its vendor partners this week that Parts Unlimited/Drags Specialties will not be exhibiting at Dealer Expo in Indianapolis.

“Just really because of lack of dealer attendance, in our mind,” Greg Blackwell, LeMans Corp.’s vice president of sales, told Powersports Business. “At the Indy Show we’ve decided to not participate in 2013. We felt that we couldn’t justify the cost to participate for the amount of dealers we were seeing, so we have pulled out of that.”

Alternatively, the largest aftermarket distributor in the U.S. will provide dealers with ample opportunities to see vendor products. In the same letter to vendors this week, LeMans Corp. announced that it will host two regional showcases in 2013, similar to its successful Reno events that it hosted at its distribution center there. The West Coast Regional Showcase will be March 23-24, 2013, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., and the Northeast Regional Showcase is set for April 6-7 in Valley Forge, Pa., near Philadelphia.

“Our plan is to feature a Reno-style showcase at each event, with about 200 vendor booths,” Blackwell said. “We’re excited about both locations and think they’re going to be awesome for the dealers.”

Blackwell said more information will be distributed about both shows at the National Vendor Presentation in Madison, Wis., next month.

Not a big fan of PU but Indy show has sucked the last couple of years and I'll never go back. Never understood the location of Indiana in the middle winter for the biggest industry show of the year. Put it somewhere like Las Vegas and you might get more dealers to attend...

I lost interest in the Indy show when it grew into a chaotic maze of semis and large blocks of Chinese scooters and atvs.
But the real problem is by the time the Indy show rolls around dealers have seen the product on the internet or have the goods already in the dealership.
I used to go to Cincinnati to see the new products and work deals. Unfortunately going to the EXPO is like watching reruns.

There dealer program is very bias when it come to setting up new accounts. The LeMans Corp needs to focus on the small business .they are only concerned about landing the big fish when it comes to who they accept as a dealer account. There are other companies that are starting to grow as large as them that provide excellent service to the small guy's.

This isn't the only bad decision they have made recently. After doing business with them for 14 years and always paying my account in full every month, they decided to require a personal gurantee. So i took my four HD stores and annual $200k worth of business elsewhere.

Heaven forbid you would need to return something at PU good luck with that.
Dealers are turnig to other suppliers like Western powers sports and Tucker rocky that want there business.
There low attandance should be a wake up call for Fred at PU the motorcycle business has changed but they have not.
Tell Fred Fox if he is not busy come to indy and check out the Tucker Rock and Western Power Sport booths they are packed with there lost customers.

Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialities has the worse return policy and attitude of any of the major motorsports distributors in my opinion and many other dealers. I was told by an ex-road rep that during a meeting with sales staff the head of PU (Mr. Fox) stated that returns did not profit the company only sales did and no one is asking dealers to return merchandise. This is not a direct quote but shows the management's attitude to why dealers are treated so badly. We have about a 75% refusal rate on returns by PU. PU claims items are damaged, many times when the item was never opened. Our dealership used to purchase over $50K a year and we have managed to reduce PU purchases down to less than $5K. Our policy is: "Buy from anyone other than PU!". It is a shame when the dealers are treated like liars and cheats. The real reason PU is not going to Indy, in my opinion , is they are CHEAP!.

Purchase from Tucker Rocky, KK , Western Power Sports. They know how to treat customers!!!!!!!!

with the rumors about pu and lemains owning or at least supplying dennis kirk and ther return policy who needs them we only buy because ther salesman in are area works hard for us to overcome some of the problems and lack of concern for dealers that the parent companys have
sleep well mr fox internet sales tax is comming and map policies